Friday, September 25, 2015

Below is the link for my reflection on this Sunday's First Reading and Gospel in which I reflect on the Insider/Outsider perspective that is so prevalent in society and in the Church.

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St. Anthony the Abbot

Our disdain of those who do not think like “we” do—whomever “we” may be—reminds me of a teaching of the great Desert Father, Saint Anthony: “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, ‘You are mad—you are not like us.’” Rather than recognize and welcome diverse perspectives, experiences, and opinions, many of us dig in along the trenches of ideology, political rhetoric, or theological certainty, criticizing and excluding those who “do not follow us.” And whether it is in broader society or within the Church, many seem unwilling—even incapable—of creating spaces of hospitality and dialogue.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

I'm excited to announce the release of my new book, Lights for a Waiting World: Celebrating Advent With the Saints.

This small volume is published by Abbey Press Publications and includes a foreword by Bishop Robert Morneau and original prayers by Fr. Harry Hagan, O.S.B.

From the official description: "The four-week season of Advent is a time of miracles. These days have the power to transform us, if we can be open to the graces of the season. In this book, readers watch and wait for Christ’s coming with the saints, whose lives embodied so many of the Advent virtues."

Friday, September 18, 2015

In my commentary for this Sunday, I reflect on what it means to welcome a little child as Jesus did.

Jesus and the Little Child
by Carl Bloch

"There is no great theological discourse or political rhetoric here. In a single gesture, Jesus summarizes the beauty and the mystery of his message: even those whom the world sees as insignificant are important in God’s eyes. To be Jesus’ follower means that we have to be willing to embrace those dismissed by the world. True greatness comes from serving others."

Monday, September 14, 2015

Yesterday, September 13, the Church celebrated the beatification of Blessed Benedict Daswa. A husband, father, and teacher, he was martyred in 1990. He is the first South African to be honored in this way by the Church.

Saint Jerome once wrote: “Martyrdom does not consist only in dying for one’s faith. Martyrdom also consists in serving God with one’s love and purity of heart every day of one’s life.” Blessed Benedict Daswa is one of those graced souls who lived this mystery in a particularly effective way in his own life. This was echoed by Pope Francis in his September 13 Angelus address in St. Peter’s Square: “[Blessed Benedict] always showed great consistency, courageously taking on Christian attitudes and refusing worldly and pagan habits. His testimony helps especially families to spread the truth and charity of Christ.”In many ways, Benedict Daswa is like any one of us. A man committed to his family and his vocation as a teacher and catechist, he made his Catholic faith the primary point of reference in every aspect of his life.

If you would like to read the full article I've written about he beatification, please click here.

Friday, September 11, 2015

In the latest installment in my series of reflections on the Sunday Readings, I explore the meaning of the words "Take up your cross and follow me."

By telling us to “take up” our cross, Jesus isn’t saying that we have to meekly endure unfair treatment and suffering or embrace a blind, “offer it up” sort of spirituality. And, while they may be opportunities for grace, illness, sad events, and even disasters aren’t “the cross.” There is nothing particularly Christian about many of the challenges we face in daily life. Finally, we can never silently or blindly accept abuse or injustice as being the will of God. Jesus rejected these and so should we. Instead, “the cross” that we are to carry is the sacrifices, trials, and hardships that can be a consequence of placing our faith and hope in him and of living according to his teaching.

As the citizens of the United States are already gearing up
for the 2016 elections, we’re going to be hearing more about workers’ rights,
labor unions, and the rights that immigrants have (or don’t have) to work or
receive an education. This will all be in conjunction with the ongoing debates
over raising the minimum wage that are currently taking place in many states.
Added to the already tense political situation is the upcoming visit of Pope
Francis, which is sure to be a watershed moment for the American Church, even
as it ruffles the feathers of political conservatives and progressives alike.

In its history, the Church hasn’t shied away from important
social justice issues. In fact, it was Catholic leaders in the 19th
century that worked tirelessly in support of trade unions and fair wages and
working conditions for laborers around the world. While some might argue that
Church leaders and the faithful—that’s all of us—should leave the “politics” to
politicians, we have to remember that for us, as Christians, these are not only issues of politics and governmental
policy. The rights of workers, just wages, and fair access to meaningful
employment are all moral issues that directly impact the good of our brothers
and sisters, especially those who are poor.

One of the Church’s great heroes of workers’ rights is
Blessed Anton Maria Schwartz.

Born in Baden, near Vienna, Austria, in 1852, Anton was the
fourth of thirteen children. His father was a low-level civic official and
musician. After his father’s death, Anton and his family struggled to make ends
meet.

In 1869, Anton joined the Piarist Order. The Piarists—the
“Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools”—were founded by
Saint Joseph Calasanz in 1597 to care for and educate the poor and homeless
children living in Rome, creating the first free public schools in Europe.
Anton developed a strong devotion to Saint Joseph Calasanz and maintained a strong
devotion to him, which he maintained for the rest of his life. But he soon left
the community at the advice of his superiors—they feared that their community
would be suppressed as part of the Kultrukampf(a struggle between the Church and the German Empire that resulted in a
number of anti-clerical policies and the closing of many religious houses). In
turn, Anton enrolled in the diocesan seminary.

During his time in seminary, Anton and his family continued
to struggle financially and he developed a serious lung infection. His
condition was so severe that, before he was ordained, he was told that he
should have his portrait taken—it was to be his memorial picture for use at his
funeral! Anton survived, however, but poverty continued to be a challenge. In
fact, when he was ordained in 1875, he was so poor that he had to borrow the
liturgical vestments and chalice he would need for the sacramental rites; he
added “Maria” to his name, at the time of his ordination.

As a young priest, Anton served in a parish near Austria’s
border with Hungary and Slovakia, before being assigned as the chaplain of a
hospital run by the Sisters of Mercy in Sechshaus, a district of the city of
Vienna. There, he witnessed first-hand the suffering and hardships endured by
apprentices and young workers who faced harsh and unsafe working conditions,
long hours, and pitiful wages. While the Church condemned the situation, there
were no programs in place to help the workers in practical ways.

The Sisters of Mercy worked to help Father Anton find
benefactors who would support him in his work with the apprentices. He openly
denounced the exploitation of the factory workers and urged them to create
associations (what we would call labor unions) which would help protect them
from further abuse. He also advocated for education programs for the workers.
In this, Anton was well-ahead of his time. It would only be in 1891 that Pope Leo XIII would issue his great encyclical on social justice—Rerum Novarum—which completely reshaped
Catholic Social Teaching.

In 1886, Father Anton founded the Catholic Apprentices’
Association, providing the apprentices with a healthy meal on Sunday
afternoons, encouraging them to develop hobbies, and praying with them. He also
created a refuge for the care of apprentices who came to Vienna looking for
work and a place to stay. Finally, in
1889, Father Anton founded a new religious community: the Congregation of the Christian
Workers of St. Joseph Calasanz. The new community continued Anton’s dedication
to young workers (including waiters, carpenters, tailors, and cobblers). Although
the community faced opposition from government agencies, they remained
dedicated to serving the working poor and were officially approved by the
Church in 1913.

Blessed Anton Maria Schwartz died after years of ministry on
September 15, 1929, and was buried in the Church of Our Lady, Help of
Christians, which he himself had built as a refuge for the working poor. He was
beatified in 1998 and his memory is celebrated on September 15.

Holy women and men, like Blessed Anton Schwartz, remind us
that our faith has to be lived out in practical ways that not only impact our
daily lives, but which also enrich the lives of others. At the time of Blessed Anton's beatification, Saint John Paul II reflected:

In Vienna 100 years ago, Father Anton Maria Schwartz was concerned with the lot of workers… He leaves us a message: Do all you can to protect Sunday! Show that it cannot be a work day because it is celebrated as the Lord’s Day. Above all, support young people who are unemployed! Those who give today’s young people an opportunity to earn their living help to make it possible for tomorrow’s adults to pass the meaning of life on to their children. I know that there are no easy solutions. This is why I repeat the words which guided Blessed Father Schwartz in his many efforts: ‘We must pray more!

In these days of political debates and rhetoric, ask Blessed
Anton to help you always keep the needs of the poor and marginalized—especially
struggling youth—in your mind and heart.

A Prayer in Honor of the Blessed Anton Maria Schwartz +
O God, who have taught your Church

Friday, September 4, 2015

In the latest installment in my series of reflections on the Sunday Readings, I explore the deeper meaning of the wonders and signs of Jesus we find in gospels.

"Magic or miracles? How we understand Jesus and his wonders is essential for understanding that this Sunday’s Gospel isn’t only a story about an isolated miraculous healing. That was the mistake the crowd made: they weren’t able to look beyond the healing to see that God was doing so much more. The healing of the deaf-mute was a sign of what God could accomplish in their lives, as well."
To read my reflection on Aleteia, click here.

About Me

I am a member of the Society of the Divine Savior (the Salvatorians) and currently serve on the staff of the Milwaukee Catholic Herald and as a regular contributor to Aleteia.org. In addition to my work as a writer and editor, I am also a retreat leader and presenter who is passionate about adult faith formation and am available to lead retreats, classes, and times of reflection for parish groups and others (in both Catholic and non-Catholic parishes and faith communities).

If you are interested in arranging a time of reflection or presentation for your parish, religious community, or prayer group, please contact me at SilasSHenderson(at)gmail(dot)com.